| Monoclonal antibody | |
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| Type | F(ab')2 fragment |
| Source | Humanized (frommouse) |
| Target | CD18 |
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Erlizumab, also known asrhuMAb, is arecombinanthumanized monoclonal antibody that was an experimentalimmunosuppressive drug. Erlizumab was developed byGenentech under a partnership withRoche to treatheart attack,stroke, andtraumatic shock.[1]
The drug works by blocking a growth factor in blood vessels.[2] Specifically, erlizumab targetsCD18 and anLFA-1 integrin.[3] Erlizumab was meant to stop lymphocyte movement into inflamed tissue, thereby reducing tissue damage.[4]
Genentech startedclinical trials on the drug in October 1996.[5] During clinical trials, six patients suddenly started coughing up blood, and four of them later died.[2] In June 2000, preliminary phase II clinical trial results showed that erlizumab did not meet Genentech's goals.[1] Genentech's primary goal was for the drug to increase blood flow to the heart within 90 minutes of administering the medicine.[4]
Multiple companies have tried to develop anti-CD18 drugs, but none of them have been successful.[4] Among them areIcos'srovelizumab (LeukArrest), and two drugs developed byProtein Design Labs andCentocor.[4] Although trials in humans have not gone well, the research of CD18 drugs in animals has been encouraging.[4] It is thought that the experimental medicines are affecting the lymphocyte adhesion pathway in humans in unintended ways.[4] One hypothesis is that the endothelial cell barrier function fails when blood supply is low for a prolonged time in humans.[6] If this is true, the drug is not able to stop lymphocyte movement into inflamed tissue.[6]
